


Five Tragedies I Could Have Experienced (and One where We Aren't)

by aria_dc_al_fine



Series: 恋わずらい [2]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-25
Updated: 2014-09-25
Packaged: 2018-02-18 18:50:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2358518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aria_dc_al_fine/pseuds/aria_dc_al_fine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In other universes, they could have ended wrong.</p><p>But Rin thanked the Gods that in this one, he's alright.</p><p>An interlude to Wired Life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Tragedies I Could Have Experienced (and One where We Aren't)

1.

Rin has always been the reckless one, trigger-happy with his blue flames although the Vatican has a finger hovering above the button that would let the floor fall apart underneath him with a noose tightened around his neck. Yukio, the harried, worrywart Yukio must have lost many a sleepless night over him.

Rin has always taken it for granted that his careful, detailed younger brother, disciplined to follow protocols to a tee, will come home every day with a tired smile, a kiss and a fond, ‘I’m back.’

Yet…

 _A pair of shattered glassed. A pale, bloodied arm, palm skyward, carelessly hanging from the edge of the gurney_.

_Shura, shaking her head, the lines of her face grim._

_‘May not live through the night.’_

Rin screamed.

* * *

 

2.

“Shopping with a grandson?” the shopkeeper smiled cheerfully at them, “that’s nice.”

Yukio hid his eyes under the reflection of his milk-bottle spectacles and returned the gesture with an empty curve of his lips. “Yes, it’s nice, indeed.”

Rin frowned at the silly teenage girl. “Hey!” he began, “he’s my-”

“Nii-…kun,” a dry, wrinkled hand closed around Rin’s fingers, brittle and papery thin to Rin’s smooth skin. Their matching, nondescript rings clinked.

“Don’t mind him,” Yukio told the part-timer in a hoarse, time-worn voice. “He’s embarrassed.”

Rin watched the human male’s spotty skin, the crows’ feet of his teal eyes, and threw his gaze away.

Outside, when Yukio bent over and was wracked with terrible coughs, Rin panicked.

“I’m fine,” the moley four eyes assured him, even though he was leaning heavily on his older brother’s broad, muscled frame. “We still have some time.”

Rin took a sharp breath.

“Yes, we do,” he returned determinedly.

_No point worrying when every second is precious._

* * *

 

3.

Rin was living his worst nightmare.

“Don’t be hasty!” Satan shouted at the body he inhabited, clearly alarmed.

“I have no choice!” His voice switched to that of a desperate adolescent. Young and scared and terribly human. “I have to protect Nii-san and Assiah!”

Why couldn’t Rin move? He needed to! He-

A gunshot.

Rin’s chest ached so much he couldn’t breathe.

_Not again._

* * *

 

4.

Yukio stared at him with wide accusing eyes, filled with disbelief.

“Nii-san…” he raised his hands, the hands burning in Karura’s flame. The bespectacled boy looked horrified.

“What have you turned me into!?” Yukio’s voice was so high pitched the end of his exclamation disappeared.

The King of Light only observed quietly behind them, leaving all the explanations to his younger brother.

“I…I-I ca-can’t…” Rin gave up and dropped to his knees, his arms reaching out for Yukio’s waist. “I _need_ you with me-”

“No!” Yukio swatted him, his expression that of the one emotion Rin couldn’t stand to see.

_Hatred._

* * *

 

5.

“Yu-yukio-” Rin struggled to breathe. “P-p-please!” He yanked at his chains.

The young man who looked back at him wasn’t someone Rin recognized, his expression so deranged it wasn’t Yukio. It couldn’t be Yukio.

“It’s Nii-san’s fault,” that man sighed as he loaded his guns with more bullets. The stench of the concoction that filled the cartridges burned Rin’s nose. “If only you are less impulsive…”

Rin fought so hard he dislodged a joint. “No!! Yukio-!”

Pain blossomed in his four limbs.

And the world faded to black.

* * *

 

+1.

Rin lost his footing. And fell.

“Haa-!” He found himself twisted in his beddings, sunrays from the parting of the curtains hitting him on the eye.

_A dream?_

“Hnn,” someone groaned and turned. Someone sharing a bed with him.

Rin pried his eyelids open, and was treated to the sight of a pale shoulder dotted with three moles peeking out of the blankets. Something slender and furry was curled around his ankle, the weight warm on his skin. Rin looked down, and confirmed it was Yukio’s tail.

Judging from the position of the sun in the sky, they must be approaching noon. It was _so_ rare to see his husband still asleep at this time. _Must be the jetlag,_ Rin thought as his finger caressed the pointy tip of Yukio's left ear.

It twitched, before the man himself flipped around. “Hff,” Yukio made a soft sound from his nose and buried his face to Rin’s neck.

Rin chuckled and nuzzled the moley’s hair. His eyes fell on the bite mark on his partner’s exposed collarbone, and his breath hitched as he remembered what happened yesterday night.

‘Are Tou-chan and Papa still not awake?’ Rin heard Setsuko’s question from beyond the closed bedroom door.

‘Yes, Setsu-chan, Rin and Yuki-chan need more rest! Why don’t I bring you to the family diner in the neighbourhood so you can have pancake?’ Shiemi whispered in reply.

‘Pancake!’ That was Takeshi.

Rin stared at the ceiling, and tightened his arms around the man pressed flushed to his side with a smile on his face.

_Stop the clocks – I’m at my highest moment._

Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> This piece isn't plot driven at all. I was filled with so much angst from reading 'To be Good' (yeah, still), and couldn't get out of it for days, so this was born.  
> Hope you enjoyed it.


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